Global News BC ran the following story on HCTF Project #2-349, the Provision of Waterfowl & Raptor Habitat within Managed Grasslands on Lower Fraser River Farmland. The Foundation has contributed over $150,000 to this project, which encourages farmers to plant their fields with winter cover crops and create grassland set-asides. These programs are designed to simultaneously benefit farmers and wildlife by improving soil conditions while creating habitat. Winter cover crops provide a valuable food source for migratory birds, and grassland-set asides support small mammal populations and create raptor hunting grounds. Earlier this year, HCTF did an evaluation of this project, which you can read about here . You can find out more about the Winter Crop Cover and Grassland Set-asides programs by visiting the Delta Farmland & Wildlife Trust website .

Youngsters all over B.C. are watching butterflies this summer.They’re learning which plants the different species of butterflies prefer, and in the process, they’re learning about nature and the intricate web that ties plants, animals, birds, insects and aquatic creatures together. Their photographs of the colourful butterflies resting on the plants they are attracted to, will be sent in to UBC student Heather Kharouba, who is working on a PhD thesis investigating what butterflies in B.C. are feeding on. “It gets them noticing the world around them,” explains Kristine Webber, executive-director of the Young Naturalists’ Club of B.C., while helping in field research for a worthwhile scientific project. “It also gets them thinking about the career potential for conducting such investigations,” she adds. “I imagine the Butterfly Project will be popular. They’re elusive, colourful and fun,” she notes. It’s also an opportunity for youngsters to learn about the butterfly’s stages of life and metamorphosis, which can then be applied to some other insects and lead to questions about other natural cycles. The importance of some plants to particular life cycles of the butterfly gives youngsters an opportunity to learn how vital such links are in the world of nature, and why...